It's Who You Know!
Networking: it’s been a buzzword forever – certainly since I’ve been out of college. Ever since I can remember, business has been about ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ – it’s how you get something done, get a deal, get an interview, get a job, get a client …get ahead.
And then, there’s social networking.That’s not a new practice but it’s a relatively new buzzword that means a new way of doing something that’s always been done. Think about it, the term ‘social networking’ is a classic tautology – a kissing cousin of the misused ‘close proximity’. Like both of these, though, they’re well understood in the vernacular and they’re not going to change anytime soon.
So in the current environment, many are enjoying a new way (social media) of doing something old (networking). Despite the virtuality of social media, we’re feeling more connected, reaching out more, reaching further, and getting and staying better connected – even if we aren’t actually touching.
But what about business? The same social parameters apply. If doing business is about who we know, then we need to utilize what we’ve learned from ‘social’ networking to get to know those we need to know.
At a recent networking event (the snacks and martinis were quite real I assure you, and I have the business cards to prove I was there!) I was surprised to fly into some flack about using Facebook for business. What transpired was an invigorating conversation that revealed plenty of people using Facebook for their personal use are opposed to creating and managing a Facebook business page. That’s kind of like trying to do business at your Fourth of July party or a family reunion, and there’s only so long you can sell the same stuff to Grandma. Who knew?
And then, there’s social networking.That’s not a new practice but it’s a relatively new buzzword that means a new way of doing something that’s always been done. Think about it, the term ‘social networking’ is a classic tautology – a kissing cousin of the misused ‘close proximity’. Like both of these, though, they’re well understood in the vernacular and they’re not going to change anytime soon.
So in the current environment, many are enjoying a new way (social media) of doing something old (networking). Despite the virtuality of social media, we’re feeling more connected, reaching out more, reaching further, and getting and staying better connected – even if we aren’t actually touching.
But what about business? The same social parameters apply. If doing business is about who we know, then we need to utilize what we’ve learned from ‘social’ networking to get to know those we need to know.
At a recent networking event (the snacks and martinis were quite real I assure you, and I have the business cards to prove I was there!) I was surprised to fly into some flack about using Facebook for business. What transpired was an invigorating conversation that revealed plenty of people using Facebook for their personal use are opposed to creating and managing a Facebook business page. That’s kind of like trying to do business at your Fourth of July party or a family reunion, and there’s only so long you can sell the same stuff to Grandma. Who knew?
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People are social creatures and they want to do business with people they know – or at least within six degrees of separation. It’s like that old shampoo commercial where one satisfied customer told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on and so on and so on. Social media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn lets you tell two friends, who can tell two friends and so on and so on and so on. And, they help you keep business personable without being over-the-top personal. It’s a great balance! So it you’re not separating professional and personal or if you can’t quite get a handle on social networking for business, that’s OK. It took most of us a little time and a lot of research before we ‘got it’. At Enduracom, we’re ready to get you ready to tell two friends. Call us, – remember, who you know is how you get there. 
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Join a Meetup group and start networking.